A Bittersweet taste
by Lore-ShipperSister
Summary: Faith revisits her memories of Bosco and of Mann.... Flashback to the beginning of season 6


I cant remember having such a feeling of satisfaction as I did that moment I watched Mann's body jerk with every shot that I pumped into him, and then watching as he fell forward and splashed into the water, and then there was Cruz with a dumbfounded look on her face. I wanted to laugh but I couldn't, I have been though too much today, watching those guys line up infront of the window and open fire,the tug on my waist as Bosco used himself as a shield, taking four bullets that had my name on them, trying to protect me, dying for me.. but I cant mourn for him right now.. I had to take care of Mann..

The splash that I heard brought me back to the pool, looking around I saw a pair of shoes and a jacket on the deck and Cruz was nowhere to be found, a few moments later she broke the surface of the water in the pool gasping for air, pulling herself out of the pool, reaching over to her jacket I watched as she pulled out a knife out of a baggie

"Cruz…"

I watched as she looked at me and then looking back at the pool she dropped the knife into the crimson water, I watched as she got up from the side of the pool and walked over to the other side, walking over to her I notice that she is putting a set of cuffs on the deck

"what are you doin?"

Not turning to look at me I hear her reply

"He drew a knife and tried to stab me so you shot him"

Looking back at her in disbelief, the disbelief that she is trying to cover for me.. after everything that she has done to me she is trying to cover for me.. I guess it was her seeing Bosco when they took him up to surgery that did it in for her.. made her see exactly what he meant to me, and now she is trying to cover the shooting.. but I had to shoot.. I had to avenge my partner who gave his life for me.

"I shot him because he killed my partner.."

She turned and looked at me

"He was already in custody"

"I know"

Still looking at me in disbelief she looks at me harder..

"Say it, he drew and tried to stab me"

I don't need her help.. I know what I did..

"Stay outta this"

Looking at me now I think that she realizes that I am not going to back down from this one.. that I am going to take the heat from shooting Mann..

"You shot a handcuffed Prisoner!"

I saw the handcuffs I knew that he was in custody..

"I know what I did…. I don't care"

My voice came out so flat and uncaring she just looked at me with a look of disbelief on her face..

"Look Faith, I know why you did this.. you wanted to avenge Bosco but not going with what I say is only going to have you thrown in jail.."

I keep playing it over and over in my mind.. following Cruz in the RMP that I demanded from Jelly, my eyes cold and only seeing red, passing the car that had its roof caved in from who I can only guess was someone who crossed Mann's path and paid the price for screwing over a merciless drug lord, charging up the stairs and finding Yoshi, him beggin' me to let him out.. to unlock his cuffs.. it's a miracle that I didn't shoot him.. he was the reason that I was here in the first place.. he is the reason Mann was after us.. he ratted us out.. and to think that I would have called him a brother.. reaching into my purse as I pounded up the stairs, my hand slipping around the butt of Bosco's gun, the handle fitting smoothly into my grip and then seeing Mann for the first time.. he had his back to me as he threatened Cruz.. she threw him the cuffs and told him to put them on.. that she was taking him in…

"I'll see you in hell you jagoff… this is for you Bosco."

And I started pullin the trigger.. I cant remember how many shots that I fired but I just wanted to make sure that he was dead, when he fell into the pool I finally lowered the gun, I did it.. I killed the man responsible for Bosco's death… and I felt good about it..I never felt good for killing anyone, it's a scary feeling, that I could be so ruthless.. but this man was responsible for taking the one thing that mattered most to me.. my partner, my best friend… he took him from me and I can never get him back..

I feel the tear streak down my cheek as I hear the detectives come up the stairs, I find a chair and sink into it, there I stay for several hours until IAB can figure out what the hell happened.. I totally admit to shooting Mann.. hell I am even taking pride in the fact that I emptied Bosco's gun into him.. I had to make sure that the son of a bitch was dead, that he was never going to hurt anyone again..

I look around and see Swersky standing by the door, he's talking to one of the IAB detectives and looking at me at the same time, and then I see him nod and come over to where I was sitting.

"Faith"

He sits beside me and slides his arms around my shoulders.. I know that he is bringing me news of Bosco, I know that he is probably dead.. the way that he looked when we brought him into the trauma room.. I had to breathe for him.. the memories come flooding back and I feel myself start to crack as the realization sinks in that I lost my best friend.. the only one that for 13 years I could tell anything to.. I told him things that I couldn't even tell my husband.

"Faith, its Bosco… I was talkin to the Doctors, he made it though surgery…"

My head snaps up at the words "he made it" He's ALIVE! Oh my god.. he made it..

"What?"

I am surprised I can find my voice.. Bosco, MY Bosco is alive, he isn't dead…

"Faith, Faith there is something else.. the doctors said that because of the damage that the bullets caused and where they hit him, he could be paralyzed, that he may never walk, talk or even be able to care for himself again.."

Oh God no! but remembering my own experiences with being paralyzed.. it could just be due to the swelling.. yeah that's it… the swelling, the same thing happened to me and well I'm walking.. and its Bosco.. he can make it though anything, if he made it though surgery he can make though this.. and I will be right by his side.. I owe it to him.. after all those bullets had my name on them! I have to get back to the hospital.. I have to go and tell him about Mann, I want to be the one to tell him.

"Sarge, I gotta get outta here, do you think that IAB would notice if I was gone?"

Swersky looks at me, understanding that I have to get to Bosco.

"Did you talk to them yet?"

I nod my head and he nods towards the door.

"Go, if they need you I will tell them where to find you.."

I nod my head and as I get up to run for the door I feel Swersky's hand fall from my shoulder, but I know where I have to be now.. my partner was alive and I had to be there for him when he wakes up. Running down the stairs I practically leap into the RMP that I took from Jelly and I head to where I need to be… waiting for Bosco.

55

He may be alive but it doesn't look like Bosco.. all wrapped up in white and tubes everywhere.. man I know that if he could he would have all those ripped off him by now, in a way that's what I am waiting for, him to sit up and take off the bandages and look at me with a sigh of relief that we both made it out of another hairy situation alive. But that doesn't happen and I can only stand there in disbelief.. I heard somewhere that if you talk to people in a coma they can hear you, they know what you are saying to you and if you listen really hard enough you can almost hear them talk back to you…

"Hey, Bosco. I just talked to the doctor and, uh…he said you're gonna be all right. So is your mom. She's still here but she's better…And hey, about Donald Mann. I just want you to know that I took care of that for you, okay? I…it's over. I took care of that for you."

I couldn't hold it in anymore, sinking down into a chair beside Bosco's bed I lay my head in my hands and start to sob inconsolably, there is so much that I wanted to tell Bosco but I didn't think that I would ever get the chance to say it.. he saved my life and in doing so it nearly cost him his own, he did that so I could live, the least I could do was avenge him but now with that done where was I left?

I must have cried for hours only stopping once my reserve of tears had been exhausted and I fell sleep lulled by the rhythmic beep that was Bosco's heartbeat.

55

Daylight breaks though the window and spreads it light across my face, pulling myself upright I look at my watch and realize that I have to get home and get to work, just because Bosco was in this situation I don't think that I would have a day off.. well I could take one but I have to be at work… especially now with Fred leaving and Bosco in this condition I needed something to take my mind off of the living hell my life has now become. I think about going home to get a new uniform but a second glance at my watch tells me that I will never have enough time to run across the precinct for a new one and still make it to work on time. So I guess the one that I left in my locker will just have to do for today.. it was still clean so I wont feel too grungy in it.

Getting to my feet I lean over and touch the only thing that isn't covered by gauze…the bridge of his nose and the soft caress of his left cheek…

"I'll be back later Bos, you keep fighting to stay with me.. you hear me? You fight! Cause…" I choked back a sob "Cause I need you to be here."

And with that I left the room knowing that when I got back he would still be here.. because Bosco didn't give up so easy.. especially when it came to being taken down on the job. If I knew anything about my partner.. I knew that he would fight to stay with us.. and that thought comforted me as I left for what I would soon know to be one of the worst afternoons of my life.


End file.
